Can-body-making machine.



1. VANDE'RVEER. CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-1 8. 1912.

WITNESSES.

Pa'tnted May 30, 1916.

T SHEETS-SHEET I.

'NTOR ATTORNEYS J. VANDERVEER. CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-18,19I'2S' Patented May 30, 191?.

7SIIEETSSHEET 2.

I I INVE 0R ATTORNEYS IN... mix $3 Fill. o III llIlIIfi/O WITNESSES I 1. w. V'ANDERVEER. CAN BODY MAKING MAcHIN E', APPLICATION FILED-SEPT. I8, 1912.

f Patented May30, 1916.

1 SHEETS-SHEET 3.-

Pater lted May 30, 1916.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 4;,

INV 0R a Y ATTORNEYS J. W. VANDERVEER.

CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18.1912.

'r I l WITNESSES:

J. W. VANDERVEER.

CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, 1912. 7 1,185,558. Patented May 30, 1916.

w M M lllllll I WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS 1'. w. VA NDER VEER CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE; APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 191 2.

' Iatenfed May 30,1916.

WITNESSES:

J. W. VANDERVEER.

CAN BODY MAKING MACHINE.

/ APPLICAUONFILED SEPTJB, I912- 1 185 558 Patented May 30, 1916.

. 7HEETS-SHEET 7- WITNESSES: INVEN YOR U fading/aw of BY UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE. i

JEWELL W. VANDERVEER, or BA :mvmsvimln, NEW YORK, Assrenon or ONE-HALF cation.

T CHARLES BRATT, or SYRACUSE, new YORK.

CAN-BODY-MAKYING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

. Application filed September 18, 1912., Serial No. 720,989.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JnwELn W. VANDER- VEER, of Baldwinsville, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Can-BOdyTMaking Machine, of which the following is a speci- This invention has for its object a can body making machine which is particularly simple in construction and highly efficient and durable in use; and it consists in the combinations, constructions and novel fea-- tures hereinafter set forth and cla1med.

- line v,

so in end elevationin In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like. characters designate corresponding partsin all the views: 4

Figures 1., 2 an site side elevation chine.

d, a lanTo-f this magedf-end "elevation horn'being sho n part of the ream .bj'ein Fig. 7 isa longitudi F '5 ,ig rbssis'ec- "p artsassembled', shown g 4:. :Fig'. 9'is a detail tional :view of unassembled in View, partly broken" of one of the p'awls associated with the feeding' carriage: 11 is across sectional view, parts being mitted, taken' on the plane of line=B-B Fig. 1, illustratlng the means for performing the last step in I the forming of the can body.- Fig. 12 is an elevationlooking to the right, of parts seen i t in Fig. 11. Fig. 13is anenlarged sectional View, parts being omitted, taken on-line of CC, Fig.1, illustrating the-gripping elements and coacting parts. enlarged detail view illustrating the horn in cross section, with the formed can body,

trating a portion of the means for actuating the gripping elements. Fig. "16, sheet2, is a; detail view of aportionv of, the power-trans I mitting means between the main shaft and glr spectively 'oppo- I eingk, v

" having complementa'l opposing surfaces ex--- tending in a general direction at an angle 5 an e, and assembled" ay, of the feeding car- Fig. 14 is an ous part of the frame of the machine being alsoshown. Fig. 17 is a'di-agrammatic view illustrating the-forms ablank assumes during the'v'arious steps in the formation of the can body.

dered, and'removing f the same from the machine after the solder has set, and means for actuating; the movable parts of the machine. I The mechanisms of this machine are supported on a suitable bed or frame 1 which may be of any. desirable form, size and con- "st ruction. r -The means for forming the can bodies from flat blanks comprises 'die members to the plane of the flat blank and constitutmg a contracting passage which operates to movable parts -ofthis machine, the contigu- I contract the blank from itsside portions toward its'median'line, from a Hat toward closed form. Said opposing surfaces are preferably concave and'convex so that the can body will be. cylindrical. v

The die members are arranged insets 10- other, each set comprising preferably op.-

posingrollers2, 3,, substantially conoidalv carted-successively one in advance of the portions of the blank as A. .Each set of roll ers is preferably, for economy in manufacturing, composed ofa plurality of pairs of rollers spaced apart, instead of consisting of but one pair of elongated rollers, and

each successive set of rollers is of shorter length than the first or the preceding set,

so as to engage the blank nearer the median than the first or the preceding set. the first 'set engaging the'blank nearthe side edges ofthe blank and the second set engaging the portion adjacent that The convex and concave faces 4, 5 of the.

sets of rollersar'e in this embodiment of myinvention, 'shown 'as of the same curvature,

ing trunnions as 12 upon which the rollers 2 are mounted. The rollers 3 are mounted upon a carriage 13, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 8, the carriage 13 being formed with portions 14, 15, 16 and 17 of different widths, each of said" portions being formed with slots 18 in, which the rollers 3 are mounted on trunnions similar to the trunnions 12, the carriage terminating at its inner end in a narrow central lengthwise projection 19 for a purpose to be described.

The carriage 13 is pivoted at its inner end at 20, Figs. 2 and 7, to the bed 1 of the machine, is movable about its pivot relatively to the carriage 6, and is held in its normal position by rods 21, Figs. 1, 2 and 4 located at one end of the machine and having shoulders as 22 engaging the upper sides of lugs 23 provided on a depending portion of the yoke 7. The lugs are formed With slots 24 on their front sides through which the rods 21 can be moved in order to per- 'mit the carriage 13 to be lowered on its pivot 20 in order to remove a blank that has become'jammed between the rollers 2, 3.

The rods 21 are pivoted at 25 at their upper ends to the carriage 13 in order to permit their disengagementfrom the lugs 23. The carriage 13 also includes an apron portion 26 having fixed gages 27 against which the blank is placed when being fed in the ma chine.

The means for feeding the blanksbetween the rollers 2, 3, includes a movable carriage 28,Figs. 7 and 9, the carriage reciprocating and comprising an intermediate body portion sliding below the upper face of the carriage 13 and working in a slot 29 in such carriage, a pair of arms or slides 30 extending from one end of the body and working in grooves 31 in the upper face of the apron 26 and a single slide or guide 32 extending centrally from the other end thereof and Working in a groove in the front end projection 19 of the carriage 13.

The slides 30 and 32 are provided with spring-pressed ratcheting parts or pawls 33, Fig. 10, arranged in sets one in advance of the other to engage the rear edgesof the blanks and feed the same between the rollers as hereinafter set forth, and the slides 30 are provided with fixed shoulders 34 at their ends for engaging the rear edge of the blank on the apron 26 and carrying thev apron 26 against the gages 27, overlies said shoulders 34. I

The carriage 28 is reciprocated by suitable poWer-transmitting means connected to the actuating mechanism -for the movable parts as hereinafter described.

The rollers 2, 3 engage the blank succes -sively near its side edges toward the intermediate portion, which intermediate portion remains substantially flat, the successive steps of the rollers being illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 17 by lines designated respectively 35, 36, 37 38 and 39.

From the form illustrated at 38 which approaches cylindrical form, the partly formed can body is fed between two die members 40, 41, Figs. 11 and 12, for bringing together the edges of the partly formed can body 38, the die members having relative movement toward and from each other. The die member 40 is substantially cylindrical and the die member 41 is a head'having a concave as indicated at 44 and 45, Fig. 17. The die member 40 is rigid with the carriage 6, Fig. 5.

The head 41 is' carried by a plunger 46 slidable in a vertical guide 47, Figs. 2 and 11, and is actuated as hereinafter described. A spreading means 48, Figs. 5 and 11, is arranged in advance of the die member 40 for holding the side edges of the partly formed can body 38 separated, so that they will not foul on other parts of the machinecontiguous to the die member 40.

In the operation of the machine as thus far described, the flat blank is placed on the apron 26 of the carriage 13 against the gages'27, and during the reciprocation of the feeding carriage 28, the fixed shoulders 34 on the slides 30 of said carriage 28, engage the rear edge of the first'blank and feed the same along the apron into position to' be engaged by the first set of pawls 33 upon the next reciprocation of the carriage gage the partly formed blank 35 and feed the same from the first set to the second set of rollers which bend the blank 35 into the being fed to the first set of rollers. .During continued reciprocations of the carriage 28,

the blanks are being continuously fed from the apron 26, and the partly formed blanks are fed successively to the difierent sets of rollers. lrVhen the first blank has been operated on by the last set of rollers and bent into the form 38,Fig. 17 the second blank has been operatedon by the next to the last set-of rollers into'the form 37, etc. The partly formed can body 38 is fed during the reciprocations of the carriage 28 by the pawl 33 at the front end of the slide 32,.

Fig. 6, between the die members and 41, past the spreader 48, and upon the 'operation of the plunger 46,the intermediate part of the partly formed can body is bent and the can body is in the form shown at 39, Fig. 17

The die member-40 and associated parts are carried by, and formed integral with, a member 49 extending lengthwise of the machinefor supporting the can'bodies during-the fiuxing, preheating, soldering and cooling operations, this member for convenience being called a horn. This horn is supported at one end by the carriage 6, Fig. 5. r

The can body is fed along the horn 49 as hereinafter described, fromthe'die 40 and its lapped edges 44and 45 are successively 'treated with a suitable flux, are preheated as by jets 50, and are soldered as by a.sol

dering iron 51. The can bodies are thereafter fed along the horn in order that the solder may set, and then dropped off the end of the horn on a suitable conveyer "or other means. The fluxing means, the pro-- heating jets' and the soldering,- iron constitute no part of this invention, and may beof any desirable form, size and construction, and as the operations of these parts are, common in can making machines, it is thought that furtherdescription herein is unnecessary. The feature of the preheating and soldering operations that is of impor tance in connection with this machine, is that they are effected at one locality on the horn 49, and not at a. plurality of points as when a conveyer composed of links or trucks is-used, all of whichlinks or trucks must be successively heated.

The means for feedingthe can bodies along the horn 49 comprises sets of gripping elementsreciprocating in opposite di-v "rections, one set of elements being in position to grip the can 'bodles when moving in one direction while the other set of elements is. out of gripping position and is moving in the opposlte direction to get a new'hold.

- "More-specifically, the feeding 'means includes sliding elements 52 and 53 associated with the horn 49 and gripping elements 54 and 55 coacting respectively with the slides,

' the slides having surfaces flush with, and

forming continuations of,- the'periphery of the horn 49. 1

The gripping elements 54 and 55 are arranged lengthwise of the horn-and are arranged in sets, the members of each set 54 or 55 moving in unison, and the sets 54 or 55 reciprocating in opposite directions. The elements 52, 53 and 54, 55 have relative movement, toward and. from each other and in this form of my invention, the elements 54 and 55 rockaboutaxes into and out. of coaction with the slides 52, 53 respectively, one of said elements 54 or 55 rocking in one direction into operative position just before the other set begins toarock in the opposite direction out of operative position. The sets of gripping elements 54, 55are mounted respectively on axially movable rock shafts 57, 58 which extend parallel to the horn 49 on one side of the machine and which are actuated from a main power shaft as hereinafter described. v

The rock shafts57 and 58 .are connectedv respectively to the slides 52 and 53 to actuate said slides by suitable means as yokes 59, 60, Figs. 3 and 11, these yokes being connected-to the rock shafts to slide therewith 61 is the main power shaft suitably supported-in the bed of the machine and having a driving pulley 62 thereon and also having a gear wheel 63, Fig. 1, and an eccentric cam 64, Fig. 2, thereon. The power-trans ,mitting means between this shaft 61andthe I feeding carriage 28 comprises an oscillating arm 65, Figs. -1 and 2, pivoted at one end at 66 to the frame 1 and pivoted at its other end, Figs. 1 and'7, to a link v67 which is The i and the rock connected at 68 to the under side of the car- ,riage 28, and a link 69 connected to said oscillating arm 65 and'having a strap 70, Fig. 2, extending around the cam 64.

The means for actuating the plunger 46 50f thehead 41 whichtogether with the die member 40 performs the lastoperation in the'forming of the can body, comprises a suitable means asa cam 71, Figs. 2 and 16, mounted on ashaft 72 supported by the bed 1 of the machine, the cam having diametrically disposed high points 15 winch coact with one arm of a bell. crank lever 74 pmoted at 75 at its angle to the frame 1. the

other arm of said lever engaging the lower 'end of the plunger -16 and pressing the same upwardly against the action of a suitable returning spring 70, Figs. 2 and 11.

The power-transmitting means between the power shaft 61 and the rock shafts 57 and 58 to move the same axially includes a gear wheel 77, Fig. 1, n1ounted on the shaft 72, and meshing with the gear 63on the power shaft (31, movable power-transm ttmg parts 78, 79, Figs. 1 and 15, a link conneoted to an eccentric pin 81 on the gear wheel 77 and to the power-transmitting part 79, and means for transmittin and reversing the movement of the part (9 relative to the part 78. The parts 78 and 79 are provided respectively with yokes or forks S2,

83, Fig. 15, which engage in circumferential grooves in collars 8% and provided respectively on the rock shafts 57 and The power-transmitting part 79 is in the form of a cross head having a bearing 86 which slides rectilinear-1y along a guide rod 87, Figs. 1 and 15, fixed to the frame or bed 1, and the part 78 is a lever pivoted at 88 be tween its ends to the frame or bed 1 and having its upper end connected to the rock shaft 57 and its lower end connected by a link 89 to the lower end of the cross head 79. Thus the movement of the cross head 79 is reversed through the lever 7 8 so that the rock shafts 57 and 5S slide in opposite directions.

The power-transmitting means between the power shaft 61 and the rock shafts 57 and 58 to rock said shafts comprises a cam 90, Figs. 2 and 16, mounted on the shaft 72 and having a high surface extending a little more than half way around said cam, vertically moving slides 91 and 92, Figs. 1 and 13, having horizontal slots 93 and 91 for receiving respectively ro'ck arms 95 and 96 provided on the rock shafts 57 and 58 respectively, and rock shafts 97 and 98 jour naled in the bed 1 and extending transversely thereof, each rock shaft 97, 98 having arms 99, 100 arranged at an angle to each other, the arm 99 of each shaft being pivoted at 101 to one of the slides 91 or 92 and the other arm 100 having means as a roller 102 for coacting with the cam 90. The arms 99 extend in opposite directions from their shafts 97, 9S and owing to the arrangen'ient of the arms 99 and to the fact that there is but one high surface on the cam but one of the shafts 97 or 98 is operated at a time to raise its correspondin slide 91 or 92. and hence the gripping eleand owing to the fact that said high surface extends a little more than half way around the cam 90, the shafts 57, 58 are not rocked simultaneously but successively so that one set of gripping elements 54 or 55 does not let go or release until. the other set of gripping elements has taken a new hold.

In operation, the Hat blanks are placed on the table 2.6 and are carried by the reciprocating carriage 28 between the successive. sets of rollers 2, 3 to the die members 40 and 41. where the last forming operation is completed previous to the soldering. The can body is then held by a portion of the gripping means as one arm 5+1 or 55 and one slide or 53, and is passed along the horn and treated with a fluxing fluid, after which owing to the reci 'n'ocations and the rockings of the shafts 57 and 53, a new set of gripping elements 5-1 or coacting with the other of the slides 52 or 53 grips the can body and slides the same to the rcheating jet from whence bysimilar operations due to the reciprocations and rocking of the shafts 57 and 58, the can body .is fed to the soldering iron, Figs. 1 and 3, and thence along the horn *9 and ofi the end of the same. \Vhen passing off the end, the can rides up an inclined face 103 at the discharging end of the machine, the can bodies passing between a concave roller 104; at the discharge end of the machine and a convex roller 105 on the born, the rollers 104 and 105 serving as a support for one end of the horn.

Vhat I claim is:

1. A can body making machine comprising a guide for receiving the completely formed can bodies, means for feeding the can bodies along the guide, said means comprising a pair of reciprocating elements movable in opposite directions, one being operable to clamp the can bodies and to move the same in one direction while the other is disengaged from the can bodies and is moving in the opposite direction to again clamp the can body. substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A can body making machine comprising a guide for receiving the completely formed can bodies, means for feeding the can bodies along the guide comprising rocking and axially movable elements for coacting with the can bodies on the guide, means for reci n'ocating said elements axially in opposite directions, one moving in one direction while the other is moving in the opposite ('lirection, and means for rocking the elements at the ends of their movements, the rocking means operating to move each element'out of engagement with a can body on the guide at the end of the movement of said element in one direction and into enother direction, one rock shaft rocking in i/paired with, and arranged to coact'respecone direction While the'other'is rockingfia theopposite direction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A can body making machine compris- 1 inga guide for receiving the completely formed can bodies, and means for feeding the can bodies along the guide comprising a reciprocating slide associated with the guide, and arranged to engage the inner sides of the can bodies, and parts for pressing the cans against the slide, said parts being movable with the slide, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

l. A can body making machine comprising a guide for receiving the completely formed can bodies, means for feeding-the can bodies along the guide comprising a reciprocating slide associated with the guide and'arranged to-engagethe inner sides of the can bodies, agripping elementfor coacting with the slide, the gripping element reciprocating with the slide, and means for reciprocating the slide and with said ele-' ment, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A can body making mg a guide. for receiving the (completely, formed can bodies,"mean s for feeding the" can bodies along the guide'comprising a reclprocatlng sliding element associated .with

' the guide and arrangedto engage the inner sides of the can bodies, an element coact'ing with the sliding elements and arranged to engage the outer sides of thecan bodies,

'one of, said elements having'a'movement toward and from the. other for releasing and gripping the can bodies, .meansfor reciprocating said elements, and-means for effecting the relative movement of said elements toward and from each other, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. A can body making machine comprising a guide for receiving-thev completely formed can bodies, and means; for feeding the can bodies along the guide comprising reciprocating slidesassociated ."with the guide and arranged toengage the inner faces of. the can bodies, gripping elements paired, and I coactin'g respectively, with the slides and arranged to engage the outer surfaces of the can bodies, and means for reciprocating the slides and the gripping elements, and operating to move one slideand the corre= sponding gripping element in one direction while the other slide and gripping element is moving in the opposite direction, substantially as and'for the purpose specified.

7. A can body making machine comprising a horn for receiving the completely formed can bodies,an'd means for feeding the can bodies along the horn comprising slides set into the horn and having surfaces thereof substantially flush with the periphery of the horn, and gripping elements tively with, the slides and being arranged to engage the outer faces of the can bodies, substantially as and'for the purpose set forth.-

- 8. A can body making machine comprising a horn for receiving the completely formed can bodies, means for feeding the can bodies along the horn comprising slides associated with the horn and arranged to engage the inner sides of the can bodies, ax

iall y movable rocking gripping elements paired with, and coacting respectively with,

the slides and arranged to'engage the outer sides of the. can bodies, means for reciprocatingthe slides and the gripping elements and for rocking the same, said means oper-' ating to moveone slide and its gripping element in one direction while the other slide and its gripping element is moving in the opposite direction, substantially as and for ially'movable rock shafts arranged on the same side of the guide and extending paral- ,lel to the guide, and means for reciprocatmg and rocking said shafts-inopposite directions, said means operating toslide one shaft axially in one direction while the other is moving axially in the opposite direction forth. v

l0. A can body making-machine comprising a horn for receiving the completedcan bodies, means for feeding the can bodies along the horn, said means comprising axially movable rock shafts arranged paralto rock one shaftin one direction While the other is rocking in the other directlo'n,

substantially as v. and for the purpose set lel to the horn, and'means for reciprocating the shafts simultaneously in oppositedirections, and for rocking the same 'in opposite directions at the ends oftheir movefor the purpose described.

ing a horn for receiving the completely ments in each direction, substantially as and can bodies along the horn comprising reciprocating slides associated with the horn and arranged to engage the inner sides of the can bodies, axially movable rock shafts arranged parallel to the horn and connected respectively-to the slides to reciprocate the same, and gripping elements mounted on the rock shafts and beingpaired, and coact- 'shafts in opposite directions relatively to each other, and meansfor, rocking the same in opposite directions to move, one gripping 115 formed can bodies, means for feeding the i element to release the can body after the of Onondaga, in the State of New York, other element is moved into gripping enthis 17th day of Aug. 1912. gagement with another can body, substantially as and for the purpose specified. JEWELL VANDERVEER' 6 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto Witnesses:

signed my name in the presence of two at- S. DAVIS, testing Witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county -L. BURTON. 

